Cured
by Soccus
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha considered himself lucky he hadn't become a psychopath after the fiasco his childhood had been. Still, he'd never had thought he'd be capable of finding love. AU Sasuhina
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Sasuke Uchiha considered himself lucky he hadn't become a psychopath after the fiasco his childhood had been. Still, he'd never had thought he'd be capable of finding love.

World: AU

Pairing: Sasuhina

Rating: T, for mild swearing later and some "teen" themes, might bump it up to M later, depends.

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><p>AN: Yes I know I should be working on my other story, but this just popped into my head. There isn't really a cohesive plot right now; I'll just go with the flow and see where it takes me. Oh yeah, no Japanese in this one, just English.<p>

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><p>There were several facts about Sasuke Uchiha's life which didn't suit the man he would later become.<p>

He was born in a big town named Konohagakure, in short Konoha. He lived there with his family, his mother, his father, his brother, and the rest of his relatives. His father and brother were barely around, his father being a businessman who jetted around the world, only ever returning home when he needed to, and his brother, Itachi, had been sent to a well-known boarding-school as soon as he had shown himself to be a genius. Thus Sasuke was left in the care of his mother. Sasuke adored her, and she doted upon him, but her youngest son could never fill in the hole her husband's neglect left her with, and in his long absences and cold demeanour when he was at home.

When Sasuke was five he found her dead in the bathtub. Neither him, nor his father or brother were ever the same after that.

Sasuke mostly transferred his affections to his brother after that, abhorring his caretaker, and later his stepmother, both of whom could never replace his mother. Yet Itachi was never home, and as Sasuke grew up, he began to experience the same feelings of neglect that his very own mother had felt. He also began feeling angry at his father. This was for several reasons. Sometimes it was because his father paid more attention to Itachi, and, after having heard his stepmother screaming at his father and being old enough to understand what was being said, he started hating his father for having affairs.

He didn't have many friends, firstly because the shadow of his father loomed above everything he did, and people were afraid of their children becoming involved with him, secondly because after his mother's death, he became withdrawn and silent, a contrast to many of the children who lived in the town.

When children are seen as outsiders they tend to get bullied, and no reputation would spare Sasuke of that fate.

One thing led to another, and all these facts of Sasuke's life lead to one action. An attempted suicide at the tender age of twelve, and "attempted" only because Itachi had come home for a surprise visit.

Long story short, Sasuke's life was saved, and to prevent any of this leaking out to the media, Fugaku Uchiha packed up his youngest son as soon as his health permitted, and sent him off to boarding school, this one for the "delinquent" children of the rich.

Sasuke spent five years there and was sent home as "cured" shortly after his seventeenth birthday. In reality he was anything but mentally healthy, but, maybe, and just maybe, his cure could begin in the place where it all started.

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><p>AN: I know it's short, but it's just the prologue.<p>

Like it? Then tell me and I'll work on it some more.

Next time: Sasuke meets some old _friends_.

Eli


	2. Author's Note

Ok so I haven't updated in a while.

Reason being?

I have been consumed by another fandom, namely transformers, since April and before April I was bogged down with exams.

Trying to get back into Naruto is quite hard for me, a I have not been reading the manga at all and I have only sporadically been reading fanfiction.

As for my stories, I am working on them (the next chapter for SAHW is already being worked on -along with a better title), and I am working on the storyline for Cured a bit more. On the other hand I am also working on a tf fanfiction.

Don't expect updates before Christmas/ New Years, but I will try to update around that time.

Many thanks for your patience.

Don't give up hope.

Eli


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto and I knowingly use them without permission to create this piece of fiction.

AN: Yes I have FINALLY updated this stupid thing. Am working on the other Naruto story (and many transformers ones) but have a slight block on the next chapter of SAHW.

Sasuke doesn't meet old friends in this chapter. I scrapped that idea (along with the original storyline for this which I may write someday). As for the continuity of this story, I've ultimately decided that this story will just "go with the flow" and I'll try to end up where I plan to be. I probably won't but I suppose if I like it then it can't be all bad that can it?

This chapter isn't particularly long but after my long hiatus and my return to the Naruto fandom as well as writing it's the best I could do. Don't expect longer chapters than this, but I might revise these (as I have been doing to my TF fic) as I go along, eventually making the chapters longer (and hopefully better).

Don't worry too much about it though. I will be adding edit notes and will inform you lovely readers of any revised chapters whenever I update.

I was trying out breaks in the narrative that aren't brackets, since I tend to overuse them (instead I'm using hyphens). Please tell me what you think about the style and whether I should keep it for the rest of the narrative (at least if I keep to Sasuke's POV since they do work out quite nicely to his frame of mind).

Enjoy

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><p>Italics are mostly Sasuke's thoughtsrecollections

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><p>Sasuke stood at the door to the place he'd be living in for the remainder of his non-adult years –<em>one more year…<em>-.

He refused to call this place home.

It hadn't felt like one since… well it didn't feel like one and that was that.

If he thought about that aspect of his past he'd slip into one of his near homicidal rages, the ones that had been a partial cause of his "legendary" status at the Academy (along with his good looks of course). He hadn't liked the Academy much per say -_not that he liked anything beyond not feeling annoyed about it anymore_- but it was still better than _this place_.

Hence why he was still hesitating on the doorstep, key in hand, knowing there'd be _no one _home; just like the old days. His father was on some business trip –_couldn't even spare a couple of days to see his youngest return to the family residence-_ and his brother was at university. At least the latter had a decent excuse about not coming to see him, Itachi's university wasn't even in the same country as Konoha and it was an exceptional distance to travel, so much so that his eldest borther –_as he'd found out from the frequent letters sent to him_- almost never visited. This was especially so because Itachi, as Sasuke had also found out from the surprisingly honest letters, had little incentive to return to a house -_not a home_- of little comfort and less than desirable company.

Said company, their second stepmother whom Sasuke had never met, was undoubtedly not waiting for him; she apparently preferred to be free to pursue her own interests instead of waiting on a previously wayward stepson who had returned – from a long absence.

He didn't know anything about her beyond her gold-digging tendencies and her, as described by Itachi, "dead black hair that looks like she emptied an entire vat of dye onto". Her name was entirely forgettable and unimportant and so he'd already forgotten it moments after reading it. She had been a package deal in some sort of company merger and their father, as one of the few remaining bachelor executives of the company, was now stuck with her. Neither of the two apparently expected the other to stay "exclusive" and so their marriage in many ways was a failed one.

A voice that sounded suspiciously like a blonde idiot who'd once deigned to call himself Sasuke's friend spoke in his mind "_Who's the sissy boy now_?", galvanising him into action.

He unlocked the door then entered, dragging his bags behind him.

The house looked exactly the same, like nothing had changed in the four years he'd been away.

_"We must insist, Mr Uchiha, that he stays full time. You see holidays might allow "difficult" boys like him to regress or even develop… less than desired habits."_

Four years and he had returned to exactly the same cold, empty –_broken_- house that he'd left behind.

So there was a new vase in the hall and the hallway was freshly varnished. Big deal. The flowers in the vase were plastic and just as dead as the rest of the house and the varnish gave off a cloying smell that led him to think immediately of a hospital –_cold, bright lights and such sad faces_. _Where was mother_?- or his headmaster's office, the elitist bastard that he was –_cruel, vindictive sadist who liked to hit boys. No one ever believed them.-_

It made Sasuke want to throw up, or maybe try slitting his wrists again –_could go deeper this time, have a sharper knife, know better, do it properly this time_- just to bring something into this sterile environment he found himself in, even if it was only _bacteria_.

His bedroom was looking more and more appealing every moment that passed, he'd rediscover –_or perhaps remember_- the rest of the house later. For now he needed rest; there had been an irritating, exhausting hassle at the airport concerning his knife, which had been in his hold luggage _for crying out loud_, not to mention the three-hour flight delay between his transfers.

So he trudged upstairs to his bedroom, hoping fervently that his bed was made in order for him to collapse on it immediately. What struck him first when he spotted his bedroom door –_second on the left, right across from Itachi's_- was the dusty faded lettering that didn't seem to have changed or even been dusted since he left. Dread now formed in the pool of his stomach as Sasuke imagined what he'd find inside. His bed had still been a child's bed before he left, he was only going to be given a new one when he turned thirteen. At his current height he definitely wouldn't fit in that anymore.

He opened the door and peered inside.

_Well I'm screwed._

Not only had the bedframe itself not been changed, the _bedding_ was still the same, and the duvet looked like it was an oversized dusting rag. Everything else also looked like it hadn't had so much as a hair put out of place and everything was covered just as thickly as the duvet in dust.

Sasuke retreated from the room, closing the door behind him. He didn't _quite _feel up to an extensive cleaning job right now and by the looks of it his old room would need days of cleaning rather than hours. Maybe even weeks if Sasuke wanted all of the dust out, especially the hidden, hard-to-reach corners.

There were now two other options available to him, he could either take the guest room, expressly forbidden to non-guests or he could sleep in his brother's room. He'd done the latter a couple of times when he was little, but to sleep in there without Itachi's permission? It was almost sacrilege in Sasuke's mind -_did love his brother after all. Love, not like; there was a difference and Sasuke didn't like anything anymore- _yet he knew his brother was kind and didn't particularly like their shared family and thus might understand the situation.

Entering his brother's room was another time for déjà vu. Itachi's room looked very similar to what Sasuke remembered, just as bare and bleak since Itachi had already been away from home when Sasuke left. The only difference was that his brother's room, albeit more or less unchanged, had been at least cleaned whilst his older brother was gone.

This counted the bedding too, which appeared to have been freshly made, as if longing for the usual occupant of the bed to return –_probably true. Stupid father'd always liked Itachi better, preferred the eldest, took no notice of the youngest_-.

Abruptly the energy that had, until then, kept true exhaustion at bay, as well as a truly awful headache, seemed to evaporate and Sasuke collapsed onto the bed, succumbing to sleep immediately when his head hit the pillow.

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><p>AN: I have no idea what I just wrote. That is what happens when you go with the flow.<p>

Any ideas/comments/points of interest/criticism? Then review (or PM me).

Next chapter (tentatively): a poisonous headache and general hatred of the world.

Eli


	4. Chapter 3

Cured Ch3

I managed a monthly update! I really shouldn't be proud of this when lots of other people manage it... but since it's so hard for me to do I'll be proud anyway.

A lot of rambling and going off tangent in this chapter. Does that reflect more of my mind than Sasuke's I wonder…

He's quite bitter too, even more so than in the last chapter. Then again, that could just be the headache.

"Pro Patria Mori" means "Die for your country" and is part of a longer saying and poem known as "Dulce et Decorum est, pro patria mori" (It is fitting and sweet to die for your country). There is also another poem, a well known anti-war poem, known as "Dulce et Decorum", which loads a lot of bitterness upon the usage of the former poem principally because it was used to encourage youths to go fight in a war in which death was not as it was described. (the words "ardent glory" and the paraphrasing come from that poem)

This facet of Sasuke comes about by his correspondence with Itachi, who, in accordance with his canon personality, is a pacifist. It represents one of the points of dissent between father and sons. War is good for business after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own the works of Herod or Wilfred Owen. They're all good inspiration for writing though.

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><p>Sasuke awoke to the kind of headache that made every sound reverberate in your head like a dentist's drill. It was not, despite some similarities, a hangover, mainly because Sasuke had not had any alcohol to drink. In all other aspects, how he felt was actually remarkably similar to one of Sasuke's hangovers. How this differed from normal hangovers was that it was <em>subjective<em>. A subjective hangover is nothing to laugh about. It meant that your hangover could be _different_ from the standard clichéd why-did-I-drink-so-much-mybrain-hurts-everything-hurts-I-want-to-throw-up-and-die-and-sleep-at-the-same-time-goddamnit-my-eyes-hurt. When something was _personalised_ especially for you without your consent you knew to be wary of it. Subjective hangovers were like that.

They also ensued that his stepmother's voice sounded like the highest-pitched dentist's drill available, the one that, inevitably, tensed up your entire body and reverberated through your skull for a long time afterwards. Oh sure, the slower drills sent shivers up your spine and made it feel like your teeth were rattling out of your skull, but that was still better than putting you right on the knife edge of anticipating the pain, sensitising your teeth to the oncoming pain, as the highest-pitched drills seemed to do.

It did not make Sasuke welcome the sight of his stepmother's face, poking its interfering way into the bedroom.

"_Sa-suke! What are you doing in your brother's bedroom?"_

Oh of course, no greetings, no trying not to be completely rude, no _leaving him and his toxic headache in peace_. Well, at least he'd expected as much. It was nice to have your expectations fulfilled, especially when you never seemed to measure up to anyone else's.

Sasuke managed to raise his head enough to give his step-mother a glare usually reserved for particularly obnoxious fangirls when they thought he had a crush on them and was too shy to admit it. To his displeasure she didn't even flinch, being married to an Uchiha and connected to all sorts of "high societies" –_smug elitist bastards-_ she must be used to the death glare, or even immune to it.

"Sleeping, but apparently I'm not allowed to, even when my own room has a bed too small for me and is covered in an inch of dust," he managed to croak out, wincing inwardly when he felt how dry the inside of his mouth was. How long had he slept for, for his throat to be this parched? It explained some of his headache at least.

She pursed her lips, showing some of the wrinkles so many women were desperate to hide. "Well it's an hour till dinner; make yourself presentable, we have guests."

She strutted off again, presumably to make her own preparations, not that he knew what presentable meant in _her _language.

At the moment all he wanted to do was fall asleep again; the raging thirst he'd now, with some delay, noticed was making it impossible so he stumbled out of bed quite woozily and headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

Once he'd showered and his head was a bit clearer, he lay back down on the bed in his boxers, realising that he'd slept through an entire day, if it hadn't been longer than that. Apparently _she_ had only felt the need to check on his presence when she'd absolutely had to. Meaning when he had to be presented to the neighbours or her friends or whomever, like some sort of ornament to put on display –_here, look how pretty, how flawless it is. Hmm. Pity about the attitude. It is handsome though- _he resented it almost as much as the headmaster calling him up as the star student and insincerely thanking Sasuke for all he'd brought to the Academy. Then again hating that stupid pig had been Sasuke's _modus operandi_, so _loathing_ the headmaster in that moment would have been more appropriate. All Sasuke had done for the school was pay some more bills and represent another petty –_false; lies; none of them helped us, just aged us, made us bitter-_ achievement; another former "troublemaker" sent on his way home -_sweet, loving little boys who would jump into their mother's arms who would then go 'pro patria mori' in desperation for some 'ardent glory' that had been promised to them._

It made him want to throw up. Not that he had anything in his stomach at the moment, he'd slept through at least three meals and was lucky that he needed to be _presented_ otherwise he'd have missed today's dinner too. It still made him want to figuratively and literally throw up all over his step-mother's pointy, no doubt expensive shoes which he could hear tapping from the master bedroom upstairs.

Maybe she was subconsciously trying to urge him to hurry up, to do something make him more respectable. Well she could go screw herself then, until five minutes beforehand he was not getting changed into anything. What else was he supposed to do? He'd showered, put deodorant on and brushed his teeth already; it didn't matter whether he combed his hair, it stayed messy whatever he did to it and he was not going to put any sort of gunk into it which would make it a pain to wash or even touch.

He absently set his alarm to stop his doze in ten minutes; he still had twenty minutes after that to get ready. Even if he didn't, it wasn't as if this all mattered. He didn't care.

Ten minutes later the buzzing from his phone woke him up and he felt a little better. His headache was nearly gone and he could finally think straight. He usually didn't believe what bullshit psychologists said but power-naps really were good for you. Giving himself a quick check in the mirror he decided he looked good enough for dinner and pulled on a pair of plain blue jeans and a black top. He was ready.

And then the doorbell rang.

He heard the door open and a stern voice saying "-of your complaints Ino. You can't go to the party tonight and that's that."

"But daaaaad," whined a girl's voice.

Ino. Ino as in Ino Yamanaka, gossip queen of school. One of the bitchiest girls he had ever met, who claimed to be attracted to him and at the same time had spread some really weird rumours about him back when he had lived here. The girl who could spread the news of his return within the teenage community within an hour and the entire town in two. Fuck.

He was so not ready for this.

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><p>AN: and that's the end of that chapter. Still no Hinata even though this is a Sasuhina. I'm fairly sure she'll show up next chapter or the chapter after. I just wanted to put something out there for all you readers.<p>

Question: Who thought it would be the Hyuga as the dinner guests?

Review please.

Eli


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